Whether stocking up on festive treats, taking the kids to the school panto or picking up last minute presents ahead of the Christmas rush, MG Motor UK’s all-new SUV, the MG GS, blends style and practicality.

Fun, affordable and available with a whole host of great practical accessories, the GS will stand up to every challenge you throw at it. With space for the whole family, the fully collapsible 60:40 split rear seats create a massive 1,336 litres of space to fit even the most lavish shopping trips. Optional roof top bars paired with a 360-litre top box provide even more space in the GS.

Automatic headlights and cruise control come as standard, even on the entry-level Explore model, while the mid-range Excite adds rear parking sensors and reversing camera, along with DAB radio and Bluetooth. The top-spec GS Exclusive features an integrated sat nav, electric seats and state-of-the-art Xenon headlamps.

With all that snow, mud and sludge, winter can be a nightmare for keeping your interior clean. Fortunately, the GS comes with a range of stylish rubber mats (from £30.00) for the front, rear and boot. Simply wipe clean to get that showroom-fresh look, whatever the weather.

Until the end of December, the MG GS comes with a selection of special offers*. With OTR prices starting from £14,995, the GS is currently available with either:

• 0% APR with just a 20% deposit monthly finance option
• £660 contribution towards your deposit when financed on a PCP/PCH basis
• A five-year/80,000-mile (whichever occurs first) manufacturer parts and labour warranty

To find out more about MG’s latest models, visit www.mg.co.uk/gs. For more information about the full range of accessories available, visit www.mg.co.uk/owners/accessories/gs/.

To help those looking for a great deal, SsangYong has introduced special Winter Wonderland offers on its pre-owned Tivoli compact SUV. Available with either a 1.6 litre petrol or diesel engine, manual or automatic transmission and either two or four-wheel drive, there’s a Tivoli to suit.

Prices start from just £179/month for a 2015, 65 reg, Tivoli 1.6 EX petrol with 17,000 miles.

Example offer based on a 48 months repayment period

“In addition to offering great value and extremely well equipped cars, we are always looking to go that extra mile to help reduce the cost for motorists,” said Paul Williams, CEO of SsangYong Motor UK.

“SsangYong is a real value-brand and we demonstrate that whenever possible.  Korean built and comprehensively equipped, affordable prices and with a warranty no other marque can match, we are confident that with such highly tempting offers on pre-owned Tivoli models, there will be even more SsangYong cars on the roads this winter.”

For details of the cars, purchase options and finance offers available, contact your nearest SsangYong dealer – SsangYong – Find a dealer

Volkswagen Van Centres across the UK have started taking orders for the new Amarok model, with first customer deliveries expected in January 2017.

Replacing the previous model’s 2.0-litre TDI engine, the new Amarok has at its heart a 3.0-litre V6 TDI engine, making it the only six-cylinder model in the segment. The top-of-the-range version of this 3.0-litre V6 delivers 224 PS and 550 Nm of torque channelled through its standard eight-speed automatic gearbox, giving a top speed of 119 mph and a 0 to 62 mph time of 8.0 seconds. An overboost function on the 224 PS takes the power up to 240 PS. Further iterations of this V6 TDI engine include a 204 PS version which is available to order at launch with an automatic gearbox, plus a manual 204 PS and a 163 PS manual to follow later in 2017.

Combining car-like comfort and technology with full off-road capability, UK customers can choose from selectable (with manual gearbox) and permanent (with auto) 4MOTION four-wheel drive. An optional mechanical rear-axle differential lock is also available for demanding off-road use.

From the outside the new Amarok distinguishes itself from the previous model through new front bumper and radiator grille design including front fog lights, new alloy wheels and a third brake light with LED technology.

Inside the cab the changes are more prominent with an all-new dash panel design which incorporates Volkswagen’s MIB infotainment system with touchscreen, radio and new technology including the option of navigation, Guide & Inform, Car-Net and App-Connect systems. Bluetooth and DAB digital radio are also now standard features.

A comprehensive list of safety equipment comes as standard on every new Amarok, including four airbags, Electronic Stabilisation Programme and Volkswagen’s award-winning Automatic Post-Collision Braking System. Additional highlights including Park Pilot and a rear-view camera also enhance comfort, convenience and safety.

UK specifications follow the previous model’s pattern and are familiar to buyers of Volkswagen’s other commercial vehicles. As such they range from Startline (later in 2017), through Trendline to Highline. Special editions will also be offered during the model’s life, for example the range-topping Aventura, 240 examples of which are available from launch.

The Aventura adds, on top of the Highline’s already generous equipment list which includes items such as bi-xenon headlights with integrated LED daytime running lights, a host of special features including 19-inch alloy wheels with 255/55 wide tyres and arch extensions. The bed of the Aventura’s cargo box also has a matt black Durabed coating. The interior is no less exclusive with ‘Discover Media’ navigation system and mobile online services. The Aventura also comes with ParkPilot automatic parking system, featuring front and rear parking sensors and a reversing camera. This model is available in exclusive Ravenna Blue metallic paint finish.

At launch, prices for the new model start at £32,493 (RRP OTR) for the Trendline with 204 PS. The limited edition Aventura launch model costs £39,381 (RRP OTR).

For further information on the new Amarok, visit your local Van Centre or go to www.volkswagen-vans.co.uk.

A Citroën C4 Cactus W Special Edition officially became the #nicestcar when it was gifted to The Nicest Job in Britain recently for a year-long charity campaign.

The vehicle is touring the UK collecting donations for 40 different charities driven by Alice Biggar, winner of this year’s Nicest Job in Britain competition.

Teaming up with The Nicest Job in Britain, Citroën’s C4 Cactus W Special Edition is the #nicestcar after it was presented to Alice Biggar, the winner of this year’s Nicest Job competition. The C4 Cactus W, liveried with The Nicest Job in Britain logo, is being driven around the UK by Alice as she visits 40 different charities over the next year.

Luke Cameron, co-founder of The Nicest Job in Britain, said; “The Nicest Job in Britain showcases the amazing work of UK charities and the passionate people that support them. Citroën’s involvement will make it easy for Alice to reach her target of driving the #nicestcar to 40 different charities across the country.”

John Handcock, Citroën UK’s Head of Communications, said; “We’re delighted to support The Nicest Job in Britain in such a positive way. Citroën is all about making people feel good, and partnering with The Nicest Job in Britain to help them collect donations, while driving the #nicestcar, is an exciting opportunity for us. We hope all the charities that Alice visits will raise lots of money for all their great causes.”

The Nicest Job in Britain is a UK based programme that offers a deserving individual the opportunity to travel around the UK for a year, spending four days a week helping a different charity or a third sector organisation.

Alice Biggar, winner of this year’s Nicest Job in Britain competition, was offered the job after campaigning for votes in the most creative ways, such as crawling 5k through Bristol to raise funds for the RSPCA, living on only £1 a day, befriending a stranger every day, and hitchhiking across Europe without spending any money.

The specially liveried C4 Cactus W Special Edition features an eye-catching exterior design with white door mirrors, white roof bars, unique 17-inch white ‘Cross’ alloy wheels and a Pearl White body colour, as well as Dune coloured Airbumps®, so look out for it near you!

www.citroen.co.uk

This shot shows the vast mountains reflected in Lake Eidsvatnet in Møre og Romsdal county. I am a very simple photographer – there is very little hocus-pocus about what I do and for me it’s all about seeing, reacting, using my feet – and this was simply the right shot captured at the right time

Land Rover and renowned Magnum photographer Jonas Bendiksen have revealed the first in a series of unique works entitled ‘Ultimate Vistas’; extraordinary landscape photographs captured with help from the world’s ultimate SUV: the Range Rover.

Land Rover worked closely with world-renowned photographic agency Magnum Photos to showcase some of the most breathtaking landscapes on Earth.

To launch the series, Norwegian photographer Jonas set out to capture the dramatic landscape of his home country. Range Rover’s intelligent technology, Terrain Response 2, enabled him to reach superior vantage points off the beaten track. It automatically selects one of its individual driving modes to suit the terrain and optimises the vehicle’s settings for all conditions and surfaces.

Jonas and his crew began their journey in the distinctly modern urban environment of Oslo, where they explored some of the city’s award-winning, innovative architecture. They then travelled northwest through the Dovre mountains via the epic switchback roads of the Trollstigen.

Here we have the view of Geiranger village and fjord, seen from Flydalsjuvet, a gorge with rocky outcrops and waterfalls. The name Geiranger most likely comes from the old Norse words for ‘spear’ (geirr) and ‘fjord’ (angr) and the 15km long Geiranger fjord is one of the most famous fjords of Norway. In 2005 it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and was in 2006 named by National Geographic as the most well preserved of all the UNESCO world heritage sites. The nice thing about working in Norway at this time of the year, in the autumn, is that I passed through a huge variation of different landscapes. It’s a gorgeous time to be there.

They also visited the snow-covered plateaus and vast fjords of Geiranger as well as the Art Nouveau-inspired town of Ålesund. The entire expedition was completed in a production Range Rover TDV6 Autobiography, which transported Jonas, his crew and all their equipment. The Range Rover is the epitome of luxury, with clean lines echoing the modern architecture of Oslo and the unique capability that allows it to take such an expedition in its stride.

Jonas said: “I spend my entire life chasing that perfect picture, but part of the joy of it is in that hunt. Photography is for me a language, a way in which I can express myself, and it has become a way in which I see the world.

“I love trips I can do entirely by driving. When I’m on the road I can stop anywhere and capture an opportunity in an instant. The Range Rover was the perfect partner for me in that respect.”

Norway is made up of more than 50,000 islands and has an 83,000km (51,000-mile) coastline of fjords, bays and inlets. Few places in Europe have a lower population density, so remote living is ingrained in the national psyche. Yet it is also home to some of the world’s most dramatic modern architecture, resulting in a breathtaking contrast between vivid remote and urban environments.

Further locations for the Ultimate Vistas series will include the USA and China.

How would you like to choose the weather any day of the year? That is exactly what Ford’s new “Weather Factory” will enable engineers to do as they test forthcoming vehicles in the most demanding conditions from around the world.

Altitudes higher than Mont Blanc, the tallest Alpine peak, vehicle and wind speed of up to 155mph, snow, glaring sunlight and rain are among conditions that will be simulated at Ford’s state-of-the-art Environmental Test Centre.

As well as turning low-lying Cologne, in Germany, into the highest point in Western Europe at the touch of a button, the multi-million euro facility will be the most advanced automotive facility of its kind. The first to simulate altitudes of 5,200 metres, the centre will also offer extremes of -40, the average winter temperature in eastern Siberia, to +55 deg Centigrade – just 1.7 deg below the highest-ever air temperature globally recorded – as well as 95 per cent humidity.*

In the UK, Ford Dunton’s Environmental Test Laboratory has been capable of simulating altitudes up to 3,660m since 1999 – as well as temperatures from -40 to +55 deg Centigrade.

The capabilities of the new Cologne Environmental Test Centre can be seen in this new animation.

“With industry-first features, like the high altitude testing and the ability to simulate heavy snow, this new test facility offers a toolkit that will help us to continue to develop future best-in-class vehicles,” said Joe Bakaj, vice president, Product Development, Ford of Europe. “This is a significant step forward that will enable Ford to efficiently simulate the most demanding environmental conditions around the globe under repeatable conditions.”

The centre – which Ford expects to be fully operational later next year – will enable engineers to work on up to nine different vehicles simultaneously, testing comfort, safety and operational capabilities including electrical performance, braking, air conditioning and pulling heavy loads.

The football pitch sized facility will cover an area of 5,500 square metres, include two climate wind tunnels; a high-altitude lab; and four temperature controlled test chambers, three of which will also facilitate humidity testing. It will also facilitate testing of Ford’s expanded line up of performance cars and sports cars, which includes the acclaimed Focus RS, Focus ST, and Ford Mustang, in conditions of higher wind speeds. And it will be used to test all front-wheel, rear‑wheel, and all-wheel drive vehicles.

Ford test facilities in Europe also include Lommel Proving Ground, in Belgium, home to a specific pothole-testing track, side-wind tests, and saltwater and mud baths. Ford vehicles are regularly subjected to as much as 3.5 million miles of punishing real-world durability testing, which can include locations as demanding as the Mojave Desert, in the U.S.; the Arctic Circle; and the Grossglockner High Alpine Pass, Austria.

As the forecasters predict the weather will take a turn for the worse, many motorists may consider buying a 4×4 for the winter months.

Automotive data expert hpi has put together a list of this season’s best buys. Motoring expert Tim Bearder, Black Book Editor at hpi considers which vehicles will minimise any potential loss in value if you bought now and sold in the spring.

Tim said: “This all depends on your budget of course if you are thinking of spending £40-£60,000 then three cars that spring to mind is the Porsche Macan, Mercedes GLC and the Jaguar F-Pace. Our money is still with the Porsche Macan, although any of these models are safe bets the Macan still has a quoted lead time of up to seven months with means if you want one sooner you are going to have to pay a premium for a used one.

“For a lower budget, the Volkswagen Tiguan or Kia Sportage are excellent buys. Also take a look at the Jeep Wrangler, which is not only a capable icon but has become very popular in the vehicle enhancement and conversion sector. This has strengthened desire and demand for this vehicle and values for this car have been very stable over the past year.

“Moving further down the budget range, say £1-£8,000, then your choice increases further, cars like Nissan X-trail, Vauxhall Antara along with many others are all good buys, but our suggestion is the Suzuki Vitara. This is a great price range car with minimal depreciation that is affordable as a second car for those who want to keep their daily run around.”

hpi recently launched a vehicle valuations service to give consumers the ability to buy and sell cars with utmost confidence offering them the inside view on the total cost of ownership of a vehicle during its lifespan along with precise depreciation figures.

The hpi valuations tool  – hpivaluations.com – is aimed at consumers buying and selling cars in the used car market and may help minimise the risks that can see consumers paying over the odds or not getting the best-asking price.

Over 86% of UK motorists think distraction caused by mobile phones has become worse in the last three years.

In second place was congestion at 81% reflecting the increasing number of vehicles on our roads as the recession ends.  These worrying figures come from the second Safety Culture Survey commissioned by road safety charity IAM RoadSmart.

Of the 2,000 UK drivers surveyed, nearly three quarters believed aggressive driving (72%) had worsened over the last three years, with more than 60% reporting the same for drug-driving.

IAM RoadSmart’s Safety Culture Survey was produced for the first time last year, and looks at UK motorists’ safety attitudes and behaviour and has just been updated for 2016.

The survey asked about the potential car driving problems faced by motorists now compared to three years ago,  perceived threats to personal safety whilst driving, support for potential new regulations  and many other aspects of motoring life in the 2010’s.

Huge numbers of UK drivers believe the dangers of mobile phones and technology are bigger threats than any other factor on the roads.

Some 94% saw drivers checking or updating social media as a threat to their personal safety, while 93% said that was the case for drivers text messaging or e-mailing, and for 91% it was the case for drivers talking on mobile phones.

This was higher than the perceived threat from drink and drug driving. Some 89% of those surveyed felt people driving after drinking alcohol was a threat to their safety compared to 88% who felt that about those who took illegal drugs and then drove.

And those surveyed thought the problems were caused by others; 91% said they had never used the internet whilst driving in the past 30 days, 88% had not sent a text or email whilst driving, 82% had not read a text message or email whilst driving and 79% had not talked on a mobile phone.

There is also huge approval for stricter measures to prevent and reduce drivers using mobile technology in cars.

Some 97% of those surveyed strongly supported a law outlawing reading, typing, or sending a text message or email while driving; 86% strongly supported the regulation of in car technology to minimise the distraction to drivers and 67% strongly supported a law prohibiting the use of any type of mobile phone while driving, hand-held or hands-free.

And nearly two-thirds (65%) agreed that all drivers be encouraged to improve their driving skills by taking advanced driving tuition and passing an advanced driving test.

The all-new PEUGEOT 3008 is available to order in December, with first vehicles arriving in dealership showrooms across the UK timed for 28^th January 2017.

The PEUGEOT 3008 SUV is a well-equipped and stylish vehicle that combines efficiency, high-specification, high-level of safety and technological equipment and unique features. The UK range starts with a ‘level 2’ specification vehicle (no level 1 in the UK) – so that every model will feature the latest PEUGEOT i-Cockpit®; compact steering wheel, the very latest configurable 12.3″ head-up digital instrument panel and an 8.0″ capacitive touch-screen.

The range starts from £21,795 with a well-specified ‘Active’ model that has so many standard features, key among which is a host of safety equipment ordinarily only available on top-of-the-range models. These include; AEBS – Automatic Emergency Braking System, adaptive driver and front passenger airbags (includes passenger airbag deactivation function), driver and front passenger side, front and rear curtain airbags, CDS – Dynamic Stability Control and ASR – Electronic Anti-skid System, driver attention alert system, Isofix child seat fittings (x3) in the front passenger and outer rear seats, programmable cruise control and speed limiter, and speed limit recognition and recommendation. As a consequence of these and other safety features, substantially reduced repair costs and a 5-star EuroNCAP safety rating, the all-new 3008 SUV has insurance ratings from just 11E (20A on the previous model).

There is a choice of four trim levels – ‘Active’, ‘Allure’ (expected best-selling version), ‘GT Line’ and the top-of-the-range ‘GT’ and a wide choice of engines is available, with CO₂ emissions from just 103g/km.

Petrol engine versions are 130hp and 165hp, with CO₂ emissions of 117 to 129g/km, with the 1.2-litre PureTech 3-cylinder turbo engine, voted Engine of the Year in its category for the second-year running and the 1.6L THP. The PureTech 130 is available in 6-speed manual or EAT6 automatic transmission while the 165hp is mated to the 6-speed EAT6 automatic.

Four Diesel engines are available, model dependent, with advanced BlueHDi technology that makes it possible to keep the CO₂ emissions low, between 103 and 124g/km, with power ranging between 100, 120,150 and 180hp.

The SsangYong range of 4x4s and SUVs is now available in Leicester, following the appointment of Unity Leicester.

The dealership will operate the SsangYong franchise from its premises at 459 Aylestone Road, Leicester LE2 8TB.

Paul Williams, CEO of SsangYong Motor UK said: “We and our dealers are focused on giving customers great service, so whether buying a new or used SsangYong, choosing accessories or helping to maintain their car in the years ahead, we are confident customers will appreciate the car, their dealer and the brand.”

Commented Elliott Cartwright, dealer principal of Unity, “We are delighted to have been appointed to represent SsangYong and greatly look forward to playing our part in its continuing success.  SsangYong has a great range, and with very competitive pricing and a 5 year limitless mileage warranty on every car, we believe it will do extremely well in our area.”